• 
• 
• 

His natural charm, genuine sincerity and eagerness to help alleviate the hardships of the rural poor will substantially dilute the inherent animosity of the northeastern people towards the Democrat Party. Attending the funeral of Grandma Niam was a big score for him at the expense of the Thaksin crowd.

He has had a good start, but there is a long way to go. Abhisit can champion the cause of the rural poor and capture their hearts and minds via populist policies,the same way Thaksin Shinawatra was able to amass deep-rooted popularity among rural folk.

Abhisit should know how to do it better. He does not have the same weakness as Thaksin - the unfathomable desire to amass wealth and power beyond the imaginations of country people. If the young man has ambition it should be his aim to become a statesman through good deeds and selfless sacrifice for all Thais.

Before he attains that status, there will be hard and daunting tasks ahead, which will require him to display real guts and gall in dealing with the heavyweights in his own party and the coalition - many of whom have huge vested interests in mind. Let's say he cannot hope to last four years in office without calling spade and spade.

So far, Abhisit has demonstrated quite convincingly his mature leadership qualities. Friends and foes can no longer underestimate his potential. Thaksin should become even more aware, with growing alarm, that his chance of regaining power might never come.

With a Democrat victory in the Bangkok gubernatorial election and with five more MP seats, Abhisit can indeed take some of the credit, if not the bulk of it. Bangkok voters have been, by tradition, impatient with politicians who under-perform but show unlimited desire for kickbacks.

What should be on his agenda for local affairs? There are quite a few sensitive issues including sweetheart contracts for city buses and projects fancied by coalition partners whose sole purpose is to enrich themselves in the shortest time possible. These will require Abhisit to take the bull by the horns and be blunt enough to tell his temporary allies in the coalition that this is no time for them to look for loot. Hard times are ahead and he must tackle all such issues to ensure national stability.

Abhisit and Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij must be quick in getting rid of the fat cats in state-owned agencies and financial institutions. For years, board members of state-owned banks have enjoyed executive perks and power, while under-performing in their tasks of reducing non-performing loans and bad debts. Some of them command ridiculously high monthly salaries - up to Bt1.8 million for some, excluding annual bonuses and other benefits - while junior officers have to bear a heavy burden in return for low pay. Korn must deal with these overpaid executives by evaluating their performance. No soft hands. No time for monkey business, either.

Next, or preferably at the same time, both Abhisit and Korn must ruffle the big feathers at the Securities Exchange of Thailand and the Securities and Exchange Commission with no less than a total change in the boards of directors. These fat cats are Thaksin cronies who looked after his vested interests while failing to keep strict scrutiny on insider trading and stock manipulation.

Of course, Abhisit, Korn and fellow Democrats in the Cabinet can expect to hear hisses and threats from those who have the potential to rock the boat and take everyone down with them. Don't flinch. Call their bluff and show them they too can be sent packing to test their popularity with the voters in a snap election.

Both Abhisit and Korn are still young. What they intend to achieve today for the public interest can guarantee a stable and respectable future, even if they have to stoop down and play gutter politics. If they show weakness and disappoint the people, they will not be given a second chance.

Acts of courage in doing what is right for the national interest, despite formidable adversity, will not be limited only to Abhisit and Korn; others too must have the nerve to follow in their footsteps and finish these tough tasks with resolve.